Chocolate Industry Essay Example for Free

Chocolate Industry Essay Quality Crafted Chocolate is an online business selling luxury, crafted chocolate our chocolate products are a boxed assorted chocolates for Holidays, birthdays, and more, we believe chocolate is a versatile gift for many occasions. As an online based company we have the opportunity to use our technology to tailor our packaging to our individual customers in ways never before possible. There are two good things to report about the chocolate market. Firstly: Consumer demand for chocolate is on the rise worldwide. Secondly: competition is developing steadily . The according to NCA estimates, based on the U. S. Census Bureaus annual Confectionery Report, retail sales of chocolate confectionery in all channels reached $18 billion in 2010. Annual sales have increased 3 to 4 percent per year for the past several years, and market research firm Packaged Facts forecasts the industry will grow to $18 billion by 2011. The undisputed leader for North American sales of chocolate products, the U. S. has a market share estimated at over 86 percent. But behind the encouraging headlines, many companies are battling to stay on top of a rapidly shifting marketplace, as fast-growing economies and empowered consumers demand more from their products. The constant change in the market structure, shares and prices, due to the emergence of new chocolate manufacturers, demonstrates a threat for the existing chocolate and confectionery companies like Quality Crafted Chocolates. Part of our market research was to do a search volume estimate for the US market using Google AdWords. We first searched the broad keyword â€Å"chocolate† and below are the results with the top five keywords ranked in order of high to low based on amount of searches. |Keyword |Competition |Global Monthly Searches |Local Monthly Searches (United States) | |chocolate |0. 31 |30400000 |9140000 | |gifts |0. 77 |16600000 |9140000 | |chocolate chocolate |0. 31 |30400000 |9140000 | |the chocolate |0. 31 |30400000 |9140000 | |candy |0. 37 |16600000 |7480000 | When we then did a search in the google search engine for the highest ranked keyword â€Å"chocolate†, the company that ranked #1 was www.godiva. com a major competitor in the industry. Second was www. ghirardelli. com which is also a worthy competitor. The third was www. cadbur. co. uk but they would not be considered a competitor since their company was based in the UK and had products that were not directed towards the same consumer. This was followed by www. hersheys. com another major supplier in the industry. Another very relevant competitor was www. sees. com carrying much of the same product was ranked #7 in the searched google keyword. The second highest searched keyword from the Google AdWords results was â€Å"gifts† these results were vastly different from the previous keyword. None of the company website associated with this keyword in the google search engine were related in any way to the chocolate industry. The third searched keyword â€Å"chocolate chocolate† results in google ranked #1 www. chocolate2. com a competitor in the quality crafted chocolate market for special occasions. Then was www. chocolatedc. com another direct competitor with. Third was www. chocolatechocolate.com a close competitor with a very similar product line of molded novelties chocolate. After researching each of the searched suppliers we narrowed in on those companies that operated in the same market, offering similar products and targeting similar customers. The top three were Godiva www. godiva. com, world famous Belgian chocolates available online for the U. S. market only. Compared to Quality Crafted Chocolate this supplier is one of our toughest competitors. Godiva Chocolatier was brought to America in 1966 and has been the leader in premium chocolate ever since. Godiva owns and operates hundreds of boutiques worldwide specializing in fine chocolates and chocolate gifts. The second is the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company www. ghirardelli. com, a leading manufacturer, marketer and retailer of premium American chocolates and chocolate beverage mixes, controlling the entire manufacturing process. It distributes its products nationwide. Their customized crafted chocolates make them stand out in the market. The third company is Sees Candies www. sees. com a manufacturer and distributor of candy, particularly chocolate, in the western United States. The company is known for it’s quality chocolate and chocolate gifts with their unique approach of allowing their customer to choose their own selection of chocolate to be packaged. Their motto is â€Å"Create your own assortment of boxed chocolates send chocolate gifts to family friends! † A true competitor in the chocolate market, with a similar product of gift boxes of premium quality chocolate for that special occasion. | | | | |Company Website |Rank (US Market) |Global Rank | | www. godiva. com |10,998 |37,423 | |www. ghirardelli. com | 20,916 |62,163 | |www. sees. com |13,015 |35,780 |.

John Smith in Jamestown Essay -- John Smith Jamestown Essays

John Smith in Jamestown The leadership strengths and weaknesses of John Smith evoked a profound effect on the Jamestown colony. The fact that Smith actually arrived in the colony as a common prisoner and was able to achieve the leadership role that he gained is amazing. His creativity and knowledge in certain areas actually saved the colonists from attack and starvation in the early days. Some of the rules he enforced as a leader were actually instrumental in saving the colony. His skill in dealing with the natives allowed him to gain their support and continue trade that resulted in the survival of the colony. Christopher Newport, the admiral that transported John Smith and many of the colonists from England, left the Jamestown colony in the fall of 1607. Immediately all work in the settlement ceased to exist. The colonists had decided to wait on Newport to return with new workers. The plan was for the natives to provide food for them while they waited. When the natives never came with food, Ratcliffe, the current president of the colony, ordered John Smith to visit the neighboring natives and trade tools and metals for corn. The natives had noticed how the English were unable to feed themselves by planting their own crops. The natives refused to trade more than a few handfuls of corn and bread for the hatchets and iron that were offered. Smith realized the reason why the Kecoughtans were not trading more than just those small amounts and created a way to solve the problem. To prove to the natives that the English were not poor, Smith gave free beads and trinkets to the children. This was to show the Kecoughtans that the English were economically strong and possessed more valuable items. Smith used the mentality of â€Å"weakness in appearance†¦was weakness in reality† (Price 57) to justify his travels from village to village, collecting a large of amount of corn, bread, and other foods for the Jamestown colonists. Smith thought the natives would trade more food if they did not realize what a small amount of food stores that the English had actually acquired. If the natives had known what large quantities of food Smith had actually traded for, they would have realized how desperate the state of the colonists. Smith performed his trading sessions this way â€Å"’least they should perceive my too great want.’† (Price 57) In this manner, John Smith saved the ent... ...into believing the English had enough stores of food actually help protect the colonists from attack. It also allowed Smith and the colonists to continue to bring back enough food and supplies to last the settlement through the first winter. By the second winter, John Smith had taken the position of President of the settlement. This put him in a position of power where he could invoke some rules among the colonists. Invoking the â€Å"he that will not work shall not eat† rule was a key factor in surviving this winter. During the same season the food supply again became dangerously low. Rats had again infested the main food supply. John cleverly divided the colonists into three groups. Despite the risk of having the settlement devastated by the division, Smith pulled it off and saved the colonists again. John Smith remained committed to the interests of the common man throughout his efforts in Jamestown. This character trait and well as his impulsiveness and temper outburst s weakened him in the eyes of the Virginia Company. Unfortunately, this shortened his time as a leader for the settlers. Despite his flaws, John Smith was a critical player in the success of the Jamestown settlement.

People Should Not Persuade Others to Join Their Religion Essay

I agree with the statement ‘People should not persuade others to join their religion’ because it’s the persons choice. Everyone has the right to choose what religion they want, or don’t want, based on their own reasons and feelings and no one should try and influence them into choosing one religion that they may not actually believe in but have been persuaded by others that it is the best religion to choose. Traditional Christian Missionaries would most likely disagree with what the statement says. They believe that they should go around spreading the gospel to persuade people to join Christianity because it is a job that God wants them to do. They take passages from the bible like John 14; No one can get to God except through Jesus, and John 3:14; Whoever believes in Jesus will not die but have eternal life, literally and use them to convince others that they have to join the Christian faith because it is the only way they can truly be connected with God. I do not agree with this point of view because if they are following their faith to the letter, then most religions teach that God will always be there for you even if you don’t have a faith so you don’t have to believe in Jesus to connect with God. However the fact that they have based what they believe in on the bible shows at least that they are trying to do what they believe is right and what God has told them and what they are supposed to do. Alternatively, modern missionaries might also agree with the statement because, instead of trying to persuade people to join Christianity, they do good work and evangelise because they believe it’s what God wants them to do. They believe God does not need them to convince others to join Christianity but just to spread his word to everybody because they are all one in Jesus Christ no matter what their faith is and as long as they keep spreading the gospel rather than using it to encourage people to join their faith they are doing what God wants and if people do convert to Christianity because of it then it has been their choice to do so. I think this is a much better view of what a missionary should do because it means they can still spread the word of God to people who might need to know about it so it can help them and they can still do the good work that God wants them to but they are not trying to be bias to any religion and they do not take away anybodies right to choose the way that they feel or believe. Atheists do not believe in any religion or God which is why some people may believe that they need to be persuaded to a become religious because they  think everyone needs to believe in God or a God and everyone needs to have a faith. However I don’t think that atheists would want to have anybody trying to persuade them to join their faith because they do not think any God exists. They may also argue to people who say that everyone has to have a faith that their faith is that they believe that the Wholly Other is not real. They would probably agree with the statement if people have chosen what they want to believe in then people should accept what they have chosen. Overall I agree with what the statement says because it is everyone’s human right to have a choice about everything they believe and other people trying to change that shouldn’t happen.

Overpopulation Problems in China Essay - 683 Words

Overpopulation Problems in China In Spite of the great achievements that China has achieved in the recent years, our country is still a developing country, which is facing many serious social problems. The most serious of all is overpopulation, for it has a passive influence on the national economy, education and environment. First and foremost, overpopulation is the main obstacle of the economic development in China. The limited natural resources in China can hardly support the excessively large population. Developing of our national economy, especially industry, needs great amount of natural resources, such as land, water, oil, coal, gas and iron. However, the natural resources are limited and decline very quickly when a large†¦show more content†¦Though the GDP in China grew about 7% (SFPCC statics) in 1999, it was only enough to provide the newborn babies (19,090,000 -SFPCC statics) with food and clothes, while could rarely be used for the further development of the national economy. As a result, overpopulation has a passive influence on improving peoples standard of living. Besides the passive influence on economy, overpopulation is also regarded as the major obstacle for improving the educational condition in China, which weakens Chinas competitive power in the world. With the increasing population, our society needs more teachers and facilities. However, since ours is a developing country, the fund for education is not enough in China. In many places, especially in the countryside, there are not enough teaching facilities. Consequently, the youngsters in those places cannot get good education. Even in large cities of China where educational system are relatively complete, the teaching facilities are still not pleasant enough, which can be seen from the violent competition in all kinds of entrance examinations. Education is the basis of the development of science and technology, and the competition between nations in todays world lies somewhat in the competition of science and technology. The poor educational situation that overpopulation brings about hampers the China’s science and technology from developing too some degree and weakens Chinas competitive power in the world. Last butShow MoreRelatedChina And Indi Driving Forces Of Overpopulation712 Words   |  3 PagesEmre Can AydÄ ±n Writing Assignment 104A 03/15/2015 China and India: Driving Forces of Overpopulation According to BBC, India s population reached nearly 1.21bn (India census: population goes up to 1.21bn). China is also has the population of 1.36bn according to Chinese Government (China Statistical Yearbook-2014). That s almost the half of the Earth s population. There are negative outcomes of this situation like poverty, depletion of resources and disturbed cultural structures. ActuallyRead MoreOverpopulation Is a Growing Problem Essay1424 Words   |  6 PagesOverpopulation is a growing problem all over the world. This is a very important environmental issue and needs to be dealt with. This environmental problem is affecting many countries in the world, but mostly the poor and impoverished countries that don’t have the resources to help deal with these issues. It also affects the environment like plants animal life and air quality. When the population of people expands we need more natural resources from the environment, so we consume more then we canRead MoreOverpopulation1587 Words   |  7 Pageshuman race, while others think it is beneficial to continue on this path. The ongoing debate on world overpopulation allows many different people to offer their unique opinions, such as Erle C. Ellis, Joel Kotkin, Robert Walker, and Alon Tal. These writers offer perspectives that support and conflict the different aspects of the overpopulation issue. Both Ellis and Kotkin believe that overpopulation is not an issue, while Walker and Tal strongly believe that it is. Ellis believes that humans can relyRead MoreHow Overpopulation Affects Education Being in a classroom full of twenty people is a normal800 Words   |  4 PagesHow Overpopulation Affects Education Being in a classroom full of twenty people is a normal persons day, but being in a room full of seventy people is an example of overpopulation affecting education. Overpopulation in education affects the people and children very much. It affects the kids by the way they are being taught and the distractions around them. The overcrowding in classrooms cause many children to feel more negative. They feel more negative because most kids in a crowded roomRead MoreOverpopulation Is Still The Problem1201 Words   |  5 PagesIn the article Overpopulation Is Still the Problem, Alon Tal (2013) claims that overpopulation remains the number one problem facing the world today and discusses various problems and possible solutions. Tal unveils the falsely assuring news stories refuting overpopulation as a problem. He particularly dissects Ellis Erle’s assertions, in the New York Times, concerning China’s seemingly magical works of technology. Erle comes to the conclusion tha t China’s amazing technology has and will always beRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Overpopulation1285 Words   |  6 PagesOverpopulation Essay Overpopulation is a world problem which is when the number of people exceeds the carrying capacity of Earth. It is a very prevalent issue because it is causing many issues for the environment. Primarily, it is harming other species. Second of all, many energy sources are curtailing due to overpopulation. Finally, overpopulation is causing death in the environment. Environmentally, overpopulation is degrading the environment in a negative way and needs to stop. Due to overpopulationRead MoreThe Overpopulation Of Humans And Animals857 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many articles and newspapers about how bad the world is becoming overpopulated. The overpopulation of humans and animals is a constant threat to people way of life on earth. Monbiot states, â€Å"The growth in human numbers, they say, is our foremost environmental threat† (Monbiot 1). Suggestions for extending women’s reproductive choices should be made, and the world population would drop dramatically because of this. George states, â€Å"If this need were answered, the impact of population growthRead MoreEssay about girls vs boys in china739 Words   |  3 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;China had solved one of their population problems, but had unknowingly created another problem from it. Back in 1976, China faced an overpopulation problem. The growth of Chinas population brought a lot of problems to the country and to its people. Some of the problems wer e from overcrowding and not enough resources like food and jobs to go around for everyone. This was why the government of China enacted the One-Child Policy act in order to prevent over populationRead MoreThe Biggest Crisis We Face Today : Human Overpopulation1218 Words   |  5 PagesCrisis We Face Today: Human Overpopulation There are many causes for overpopulation than just increasing numbers of people. Modern technology, improved medicine, more opportunities to get out of poverty, low fatality rates, immigration, and the lack of family planning (Rinkesh); all lead to overpopulation. Earth is home to 7.2 billion people. A research of 2015 (infoplease) shows that most of the world s population lies with the two largest countries in Asia: China and India. As of the last studyRead MoreThe Issue of Over Population in the Earth Essay942 Words   |  4 PagesOverpopulation is a hot topic that is becoming a well-known problem that our world faces. At times you can see how our planet may not be big enough for all of us. Family vacations seem less fun due to too long lines. Traffic can seem like it’s at a stand-still in the cities and all the while we think that there are so many other problems to focus our attention on. It would be easy to focus on global warming, or we could admit to ourselves that if the world did not have so many people pollution would

Daltons Model of the Atom and Early Atomic Theory

You may take it for granted that matter is made up of atoms, but what we consider common knowledge was unknown until relatively recently in human history. Most science historians credit John Dalton, a British physicist, chemist, and meteorologist, with the development of modern atomic theory. Early Theories   While the ancient Greeks believed atoms made matter, they disagreed on what atoms were. Democritus recorded that  Leucippus believed atoms to be small, indestructible bodies that could combine to change properties of matter.  Aristotle believed elements each had their own special essence, but he did not think the properties extended down to tiny, invisible particles. No one really questioned Aristotles theory, since tools did not exist to examine matter in detail. Along Comes Dalton So, it wasnt until the 19th century that scientists conducted experiments on the nature of matter. Daltons experiments focused on gases -- their properties, what happened when they were combined, and the similarities and differences between different types of gases. What he learned led him to propose several laws, which are known collectively as Daltons Atomic Theory or Daltons Laws: Atoms are small, chemically indestructible particles of matter. Elements consist of atoms.Atoms of an element share common properties.Atoms of different elements have different properties and different atomic weights.Atoms that interact with each other obey the Law of Conservation of Mass. Essentially, this law states the number and kinds of atoms that react are equal to the number and kinds of atoms in the products of a chemical reaction.Atoms that combine with each other obey the Law of Multiple Proportions. In other words, when elements combine, the ratio in which the atoms combine can be expressed as a ratio of whole numbers. Dalton is also known for proposing gas laws (Daltons Law of Partial Pressures) and explaining color blindness. Not all of his scientific experiments could be called successful. For example, some believe the stroke he suffered might have resulted from research using himself as a subject, in which he poked himself in the ear with a sharp stick to  Ã¢â‚¬Å"investigate the humours that move inside of my cranium.† Sources Grossman, M. I. (2014). John Dalton and the London atomists: William and Bryan Higgins, William Austin, and new Daltonian doubts about the origin of the atomic theory. Notes and Records. 68 (4): 339–356. doi:10.1098/rsnr.2014.0025Levere, Trevor (2001). Transforming Matter: A History of Chemistry from Alchemy to the Buckyball. Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 84–86. ISBN 978-0-8018-6610-4.Rocke, Alan J. (2005). In Search of El Dorado: John Dalton and the Origins of the Atomic Theory. Social Research. 72 (1): 125–158. JSTOR 40972005

The Battle Of The American Civil War Essay - 1987 Words

The American Civil War was a civil war fought from 1861 to 1865, to determine the survival of the United States of America as it defeated the bid for independence by the breakaway Confederate States of America. Among the 34 states in January 1861, seven Southern slave states individually declared their secession from the U.S. and formed the Confederate States of America. War broke out in April 1861 when they attacked a U.S. fortress, Fort Sumter, and ended with the surrender of all the Confederate armies in spring 1865. The Confederacy, colloquially known as the South, grew to include eleven states; it claimed two more states and several western territories. The Confederacy was never diplomatically recognized by any foreign country. The states that remained loyal including border states where slavery was legal, were known as the Union or the North. The war had its origin in the factious issue of slavery, especially the extension of slavery into the western territories. Four years of intense combat left 750,000 soldiers dead, and destroyed much of the South s infrastructure. The Confederacy collapsed and slavery was abolished in the entire country. The Reconstruction Era overlapped and followed the war, with its fitful process of restoring national unity, strengthening the national government, and guaranteeing civil rights to the freed slaves. History In the 1860 presidential election, Republicans, led by Abraham Lincoln, supported banning slavery in all the U.S.Show MoreRelatedThe Battle Of The American Civil War Essay1488 Words   |  6 Pages How could a traumatic war possibly be a great cause to our country? The battles of the American Civil War for example, has dramatically affected this country in a plethora of ways; from abolishing slavery in the South, uniting the United States, and changing the political and social ways of how we are today. However, these are not the only changes to occur. Military and medicine started to advance, and even different cultures and languages began to develop across the land. As of today, it has beenRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War905 Words   |  4 PagesThe American Civil war occurred about seventy-eight years after the American Revolution, and has many of the same characteristics of a revolution. In both wars, the American people fought for what they believed in and the way of life that they wished to live. However, the two wars differ from each other, as the soldiers that fought in the Civil War fought a new American Revolution that could have split the new world. The Confederate soldiers in the Civil War fought to keep their way of life withoutRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War1140 Words   |  5 PagesOn April 12th 1861 the famous American Civil War began, citizens from all over the United states fought against one another. The war pitted brother against brother in a fight primarily over the freedom of slaves. The majority of soldiers in the Civil War were white especially those serving the southern regiments, however African Americans served as well. The black regiments of the military during the civil were successful and essential. These African Americans were referred to as Buffalo SoldiersRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War869 Words   |  4 PagesA Confederate Divided The American Civil War has become a point of controversy and argument when discussing key events in shaping America. The arguments that arise when discussing the war tend to focus on whether the Confederate was constitutionally justified in seceding, or whether the North had the right to prevent the secession. However, when discussing the America Civil War and the idea of separation, it is important to be mindful that separation did not simply end at the state level.Read MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War1335 Words   |  6 Pagesback with hindsight and the knowledge of warfare of the 21st century it is easy to say that the American Civil War was simply put, a very traditional war. Thinking of modern tactics and a course of numbers and deployment one might come to the conclusion that the Civil War was fought centuries ago; nevertheless, it only occurred 152 years ago. This hard fought national struggle was in fact a very modern war for many simple reasons, including the e mergence of a new form of large national government withRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War1425 Words   |  6 PagesThree years after the attack on Fort Sumter, one of the most controversial battles of the American Civil War was fought in West Tennessee. The battle at Fort Pillow, located near the Mississippi River about 50 miles north of Memphis, was a bloody slaughter of a mixed Union garrison. The garrison was comprised of 557 men total, about half of those men were African American s in the 6th U.S. Regiment Colored Heavy Artillery, and the 2nd Colored Light Artillery, commanded by Major Lionel F. Booth.Read MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War998 Words   |  4 PagesThe American Civil War was fought from April 12th 1861 to May 9th 1865 to mark the bloodiest clash in American history. The civil war started as a result of differences between the free and slave states over the authority of the national government to outlaw slavery in the Southern states. The eco nomy of the northern states had modernized and industrialization had taken root. They had invested heavily in their transport system, financial industries and communications network. The Southern economyRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War1018 Words   |  5 Pages On September 17, 1862, the Union and Confederate armies met near the Maryland village of Sharpsburg in a battle that still remains the single bloodiest day in American history. The battle consisted of many attacks and counterattacks between Union General George B. McClellan and The Army of the Potomac against Confederate Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Confederates managed to fight relentlessly over the course of the struggle. However, afterRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War2055 Words   |  9 PagesThe American Civil War was an infamous struggle fought, primarily, on the issue of slavery. This war shook the nation to its very core, and its legacy has lived on in the hearts and minds of American citizens. Few words have a stronger impact, or strike as familiar of a note, as the words â€Å"Four score and seven years ago.† Americans recognize this statement on a subconscious level, even if they do not know whe re they are from. These words were spoken in Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, at a pivotalRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War1463 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Stonewall† Jackson was alive in a very tense time for American History. The Southern States were in a full scale rebellion from the Union now calling themselves The Confederate States of America. The previously unified nation was split into two opposing sides going head to head in a battle to the death, with no end in sight. Starting his career in the US military, Jackson continued on to become one of the most famous generals in the American Civil War. Many historians consider him not only a strong leader

Implications of labour market flexibility on Human Resource Management Free Essays

string(433) " relaxed hiring and firing regulations and through temporary employment \(Leighton 2003\) Internal numerical flexibility – this refers to the adjustment of schedules or working hours and comprise mainly of part-time jobs \(Wilton 2013\) Financial/wage flexibility – this flexibility involves the wage differences and is done with the aim of ensuring that employment cost reflects the supply and demand of labour \(Wilton 2013\)\." Introduction Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in demand for greater labour flexibility, driven primarily by increases in international competition and advances in technology (Vincente-Lorente Suarez-Gonzalez 2007). Given the intense competition and the speed of technological change, there has been a proliferation of non-standard forms of employment such as outsourcing, temporary, part-time or informal employment. For example, the UK has grown to become a net exporter of IT-enabled services, offshoring call centre jobs to countries such as India (Heckley 2005). We will write a custom essay sample on Implications of labour market flexibility on Human Resource Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now Outsourcing in the UK is currently the norm and has grown to become a major industry. The growth in such flexible labour markets is also mirrored in other parts of Europe as well including in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Benelux (Leighton 2003). It is clear that world of work is changing rapidly. However, these changes are not new and have been there for many years, both in Europe and other advanced economies. According to Flau and Mittelstadt (2010), these labour market flexibilities were considered alternative for the rising unemployment. During the early 1960s, the high levels of unemployment prompted national governments to implement a variety of programs that would make labour markets flexible. Labour market policies and Programs that promote short-term working were implemented (Flau Mittelstadt 2010). Whilst these atypical forms of employment may have been there, it is in the recent years that it has garnered the attention of most commentators, scholars and academics. For example, offshoring and outsourcing in the UK has become more pronounced. These changes seem to have had tremendous impacts in the business world, in terms of employment prospects, growth, productivity and inequality (Flau Mittelstadt 2010). The increase in labour market flexibility has generated some controversies in the Human resource circle. On the positive side, it is seen especially by the neo-liberals as key to prosperity in a turbulent global economy. However, evidence also points to the disadvantages that may result from such labour market flexibility including uneven distribution of the benefits, increasing income disparities, disruption of career paths, decrease in employee commitment and reduced labour productivity as a result of the uncertain job climate (Brodsky 1994). These are some of the main concerns which have attracted the attention of many scholars in the human resource circle, industrial relations and policy makers as well (Anagnostopoulos 2008). On the one hand, labour market flexibility is seen to have short-run cost benefits associated with declining employer funded training. On the other hand, it potentially weakens human resource development systems and disrupts established labour relations practices. In this regard, this paper critically discusses the implications of labour flexibility on the international management of human resources. Labour market flexibility Before exploring further on this topic, it is worthwhile to first define labour market flexibility. In essence, this refers to the firm’s ability to institute some changes in its working patterns including setting wages, hiring employees on contracts, firing them and changing the working hours (Conley 2008). In response to multi-faceted changes, organizations today are increasingly changing their recruitment arrangements and adapting flexible kind of arrangements. Changes in the labour market has led to the rise and growth in demand for flexible labour arrangements such as part time jobs, temporary contracts, labour hires and outsourcing among many others. For example, Part-time work has increased by 4 percentage points, rising from 16.6% in 1996 to about 20.8% in 2006 (Rani 2008). The share of part-time work varies from country to country and exceeds 20% in most of the advanced economies. It is high in the UK, Japan, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. There has also been an increasing trend in temporary employment from 11.7% in 1996 to about 15% in 2006 (Rani 2008). Indications, however, show that ‘vulnerable workers’ are more likely to experience temporary work than others. According to an EU migration report, 52% of registered migrant workers were found to be mostly concentrated in the temporary forms of employment, earning the lowest wage (Home office 2007). The proportion of temporary work remains highest in the service sectors compared to the manufacturing sectors. The rise in such flexible labour arrangements can be attributed to intense competition and the need for businesses to adapt to various multi-faceted changes, driven by new technology. Advances in technology have made the process of fragmentation and outsourcing of tasks easier. However, the pervasive nature of such atypical forms of employment has raised concern over their impact on human resource management, particularly human resource development. Outsourcing in the UK Outsourcing in the UK has become a common practice with over 90% of employers outsourcing at least one service. British Airways is a prime example, having offshored its services by creating call centres in India. Outsourcing is increasingly growing to become a major industry in the UK and is likely to continue to grow as major client organizations are concentrated in the public sector. The growth in such flexible labour markets is mirrored in other parts of Europe such as Germany, Switzerland, Benelux and Sweden with 70%, 74%, 54% and 44% of employers in these countries outsourcing at least one service (Leighton 2003). Outsourcing in the UK is having major implications on international human resource management. Such flexible forms of labour have been found to have significant impacts on several aspects of HRM, especially the payroll, ITC, training, staffing and recruitment (Pen et al. 2013). To fully comprehend the impact of labour market flexibility on international human resource management, it is worthwhile to examine Atkinson’s model which forms the basis of strategies that most companies use Atkinson’s model Atkinson’s model identifies four main flexibilities sought by companies: Functional: the functional ability describes the firm’s ability to match the skills of employees with tasks by dismantling the traditional rigidities between different occupational groups (Kalleberg 2001). This is mainly achieved through outsourcing and offshoring of services. External numerical flexibility – this involves adjustment of the labour force from external market and is achieved through relaxed hiring and firing regulations and through temporary employment (Leighton 2003) Internal numerical flexibility – this refers to the adjustment of schedules or working hours and comprise mainly of part-time jobs (Wilton 2013) Financial/wage flexibility – this flexibility involves the wage differences and is done with the aim of ensuring that employment cost reflects the supply and demand of labour (Wilton 2013). It comprise mainly of individual performance wages, assessment based pay and rate-for- the job systems In Atkinson’s model, within the core group, are highly skilled workers with firm-specific capabilities. This group contains a unique resource and thus the focus of human resource managers is ensuring their retention. Workers in the first peripheral group are considered to posses skills which are not firm-specific and hence the firm may rely on external market to fill such posts (functional and numerical flexibility) (Wilton 2013). The second peripheral group comprise mainly of workers under atypical forms of employment, providing both the temporal and numerical flexibility. This model describes how companies respond to the increased need for flexibility. Implications of labour market flexibility on international human resource management A commonly held view is that Labour market flexibility is an essential ingredient for progress. It has been seen for a long time as unequivocally good, helping address the wide problems of unemployment (Rowley 2013). It is also seen as a key ingredient for growth especially under turbulent global economic conditions. According to some commentators, Labour market flexibilities have created a knowledge intensive economy where most of the workers get involved in knowledge intensive work and benefit from high wages attached to those jobs (Schuler Jackson 2005). Labour market flexibility is also seen to be of paramount importance, helping in the control of labour costs and satisfying demand for labour. Having just the right number of workers and hiring others at wages that reflect their differing productivity certainly reduces the labour costs associated with traditional approaches of staffing and training (Silvia 2010). In addition, they enable the company to adjust to fluctuations in business demand and achieve greater efficiency which is made possible by matching of skills and tasks. In spite of these benefits, critics have argued that most of the benefits of flexible labour markets are short-run and have pointed out to the wider negative impacts on the human resource development. The perspective of a radical upskilling has been criticized by sceptics who argue that the growth of a knowledge economy is overstated and that a significant proportion of non-standard forms of employment are in fact low skilled and poorly paid menial jobs (Wilton 2013). These non-standard forms of employment are also a major source of income inequality, driving the wage gap. They have increased income inequality in many countries. However, it remains unclear as to the extent to which such inequality can be attributed to non-standard forms of work. For example, some economies such as Lithuania, Romania and Latvia have experienced an increase in income inequality despite a decline in atypical forms of work, indicating the possibility of other institutional factors coming into play (Rani 2008) A similar issue of concern relates to job security. As with atypical forms of work, job security is not guaranteed which results in reductions in job tenure and increase in worker’s mobility across different firms. Although employers may emphasize their role in ensuring ’employability’ of workers in terms of the skills that can be transferable across firms as opposed to offering them with job security; it poses the question: just how ‘portable’ are skills learned on and off-the-job (Vaitilingham 2006 p.28). There is also a concern of the widening income inequality. Flexible working arrangements are seen to further widen the wage gap. However, there is mixed evidences with regard to the impact of labour market flexibilities on income inequality. Whereas studies by Blanchard Landlier (2002) and Giesecke Gross (2004) have argued that there is no upward mobility for atypical forms of employment; studies by Gregg wadsworth (1996) have found these labour market flexibilities as widening income inequality. Perhaps, an issue that has received much attention is the concern of declining employee and employer commitment. Flexible working arrangements such as outsourcing involve contracting out services by the management, which implies engaging ‘labour without obligation’ (Hall 2013). In return, workers implicated in outsourcing tend to feel little obligation. It can therefore be made that firms that outsource their services runs the risk of reduced employee and employer commitment to human resource development strategies as well. There is a host of other issues of concern associated with non-standard employment such as low pay, lack of promotion, lack of employer pension scheme and even lack of sick pay provision (McGovern et al 2004). This can be seen in the UK and some other Europe countries. Similar patterns of problems have been observed by Kalleberg et al. (2003) in the US, indicating the potentially harmful effects of labour market flexibility on human resources. The national government dilemma of creating a flexible workforce. Labour market flexibility seems to have had tremendous impacts on in the business world. Whereas these atypical forms of unemployment may not be new, the tactics and strategies employed in some countries is. For instance, some labour patterns in Germany mirrors the ‘zero hours contacts’ in UK (Wilton 2013). The implications of these labour market flexibilities in Human Resource Management and industrial relations are obvious, ranging from increased job insecurity to decreased employee commitment to skill loss and reduced employee loyalty trust However, there remains a dilemma with regard to creating a flexible workforce. Neo-liberal economists hold of the view that labour market flexibility plays an important role in economic progress and is key to overcoming the turbulent effects of economic instability (Wilton 2013). National governments are thus under pressure to minimize the regulation of business practices in response to the changing nature of the labour market. But at the same time, they must strike a balance between economic responsiveness and employee protection. This can be seen with the long battle over the rights for workers working under atypical forms of employment such as temporary contracts, a key characteristic of the labour market flexibility Conclusion Labour market flexibilities such as part time jobs, temporary contract, outsourcing, labour hire and contracting out have significant impacts on human resource development. To some degree, it can be seen that flexible labour markets may minimize labour costs associated with recruitment and staff training. Although such non-standard forms of employment have short-run cost benefits associated with declining employer funded training, the human resource sector will suffer in the long run in terms of reduced employee commitment, skill loss, and declining employee loyalty and trust. Flexible labour arrangements such as outsourcing need not to be viewed as simply a cost-cutting exercise. However, cost reduction continues to become a major motivation for most companies. There is also an imperative need to strike a balance between economic responsiveness and employee protection. Strategies need to be devised that take into consideration both the benefits of flexible working arrangements and its implications on human resources in terms of the job content, job security and loyalty of different groups of workers. References Anagnostopoulous, A., 2008. Labour market flexibility in Central Greece: findings from workplace employment relations survey. 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